By Modupe Seriboh
Ibadan – Mr Christopher Odibu, the Area Comptroller of Oyo/Osun Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), on Thursday, said the command had projected N24.2 billion as revenue for 2018.
Odibu made this disclosure to newsmen in Ibadan at a news conference while reviewing the activities of the command for January.
The comptroller said that through the efforts of his men in combating smuggling, the command had made some seizures since his assumption of office on Jan. 17.
“The seizures are: 375, 50 kg of rice, 271 bales of secondhand clothes, 60 gallons of 25 litres vegetable oil, and two trucks containing 43 sacks of used shoes, six used cars and 600 bags of fertiliser.
He said that the total duty paid value of the seizures made was N77 million.
The customs chief disclosed that four persons were arrested in connection with the seizures and they would soon be prosecuted.
He also said that the command generated N17. 6 billion in 2017, noting that the amount represented 85.3 per cent of the target for the year.
The comptroller also recalled that the command made a total of 115 seizures with a duty paid value of N215. 5 million.
Odibo, however, promised that the command would work harder to surpass the previous year’s revenue generated.
“The command has been doing very well in the area of revenue collection, which comes purely from excise factories and few imports,” he said.
The customs chief said that the organisation had zero tolerance for smuggling because of its grave consequences on the nation’s economy and security.
“I must commend the efforts of the officers and men of the command, who worked tirelessly to record these achievements.
“The NCS of today has no reason not to perform because the Comptroller-General of Customs, has provided the services with enabling tools and environment to perform our duties effectively,” he said.
He, however, warned smugglers and those aiding and abetting them to desist from the ugly act.
